Calling For You
by PurpleKorea134
Summary: Hermione and Draco are paired together for a potions project. Will Hermione have to do all the work, or will Draco actually help out?
1. Prologue

_Here's a cute little Dramione story that takes place in the main characters' third year at Hogwarts. I may be off and on with the posting of chapters because of work and life, so bear with me._

_PS: There are elements of the actual Harry Potter story-JK Rowling and the makers of the movie own them, not me. Enjoy and review!_

* * *

**Prologue**

Hermione knew this wasn't a good idea. She knew Hagrid was planning on bringing his hippogriff Buckbeak out for the lesson. He went on and on about it the day before when she, Ron and Harry went to visit him. She's read about the horse-bird hybrids some months ago, and learned that they were sensitive, hostile creatures, only to be cared for by experiences wizards and witches. They are far too dangerous to be around any person, let alone a bunch rowdy teenagers. Especially one particular teenager...

"Not so scary are you, you big ugly brute?" Malfoy said as he cantered up to the large hippogriff Buckbeak, his arms flailing as he went.

Hermione's heart nearly stopped. Why does that Malfoy always have to cause trouble?! She about shouted at him, but Hagrid beat her to it.

"Malfoy, no! Malfoy!"

The horse-bird startled and stood up on his hind legs and swiped the blonde-haired boy in the arm with his hoof, making him fall over backwards onto his back. He started whining in pain,

"He's killing me, he's killing me!"

"It's okay," Hagrid said, trying to calm the startled and screaming teens in the forest clearing, "it's just a scratch."

"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, walking up to him. "He has to be taken to the hospital. His arm could be badly injured!"

"O-okay. I'm the teacher, I'll do it," Hagrid said, and went and picked up a fallen Malfoy still moaning in pain. He clutched his arm with white knuckles, and his head dangled from Hagrid's arm as he was carried away. Malfoy opened his crystal blue eyes for one second and saw Hermione's oval face and wavy light-brown hair. Then he lost consciousness, totally limp in Hagrid's arms.


	2. Chapter 1

_An unfortunate pairing in potions class..._

**Chapter 1**

Granger!"

A few students of Slytherin House jumped back from around the hospital bed after Malfoy's sudden outburst.

"He's mental!" Crabbe said, his round face scrunching together. "Why call that mudblood's name?"

"Yeah, and he wasn't even hit in the head," Goyle commented.

Malfoy lay there on the white sheets, tossing his head back and forth on the pillow, his brows pushed in as far as they could go, and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. His arm was in a sling which was tied around his neck.

"Granger!"

"He's still not stopping?" Madam Pomphrey demanded as she pushed through the group of half-a-dozen students in black and green robes. She muttered a calming charm, and Malfoy instantly stopped writhing and slept soundly. Madam Pomphrey went off and tended to another student across the way.

"That mudblood…" a girl growled, and the rest nodded.

* * *

Hermione hugged her books to her chest as she walked down the main corridor with Ron and Harry before Defense Against the Dark Arts class, along with hoards of other students. The trio turned a corner, talking about how Shamus Finnegan blew up his pumpkin juice at breakfast just ten minutes before.

"You would think he would learn," Ron said. "After trying to turn water to rum our first year."

"There's just something wrong with his wand," Hermione said. "It can be fixed."

"You can't just exchange wands, can you?" Harry asked.

"I don't think you can. I think Shamus is in trouble."

They all laughed, but then...

"Granger!"

They jumped at the sound of Draco's loud, angry voice. They turned to find the toe-head blonde cantering up to them, scowling.

"Oh, no…" Ron moaned. "What now?"

Draco cantered straight up to Hermione, looking straight at her with his icy blue eyes. "What'd you do, Granger? What'd you do to me? I know you did something!"

Ron pulled Hermione's arm, and she toppled over near Harry. Ron was in Malfoy's face. "Shove off, Malfoy."

Draco pushed Ron's shoulder, causing him to ram against the stone wall of the corridor. "What'd you do?" he demanded of Hermione again, stepping up to her. "You did something to that bloody bird!"

"I did nothing," she spat back at him. "You're the one who provoked him. It's your own fault."

"You did something! You were the last person I saw before I…"

He stopped, his cheeks suddenly flushing pink in embarrassment. Ron chuckled and said, "Before you fainted?" He made a swooning sound, imitating what Draco and another Slytherin did when they found out Harry had fainted on the train at the very beginning of the year. Harry let out a snicker, but held it in with his fisted hand against his mouth.

"I had nothing to do with your stupidity!" Hermione said to Draco, and she walked off, and Harry and Ron walked after her, smiling to themselves, which enraged Draco even more.

"Mark my words, mudblood, you'll pay for this!" he shouted into the corridor, and several students went by, staring at him. He looked around at all the eyes, and made his way out of there in the other direction.

"He's mad," Harry said.

"When is he not?" Ron asked, laughing. "Did you see his face when he noticed people were watching?"

Hermione wasn't amused. Her heart hurt. Every time that white-haired weasel calls her that name, it is like he plunges a dagger into her heart.

"Don't let him get to you, Hermione," Ron suddenly said, noticing her expression. "He's a rotten git."

"I know," was all she said, fighting tears.

* * *

The trio sat at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table at lunch the next day-in the very center. Hermione was busy reading a copy of The Daily Profit, focusing on an article about how Mr. Ollivander sold his one-millionth wand, and Harry and Ron were busy talking about the next quidditch game that weekend. She attempted to tune them out since they sat right next to her.

"Hermione," Padma Patil said, and Hermione looked up from the article she was reading. "Yes?"

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

She scooted next to Hermione and leaned in close to her. She said in a whisper, "I heard some Slytherins talking on my way to potions this morning, and they were talking about how Malfoy called your name when he was out of it in the hospital wing. You know, after the hippogriff incident."

Hermione stared at Padma's dark brown eyes in confusion. "What? My name?"

She nodded. "Yes. They said he called your name several times before he woke up." She frowned. "Why do you suppose he called your name?"

Hermione felt her ham sandwich rise in her throat. "I don't know." She thought a moment, glancing at Draco sitting at the table right next to theirs. He happened to catch her gaze and he grimaced. She quickly looked away. "Maybe because he thought I did something to him. Like cause Buckbeak to attack him."

"I'll never understand that boy…" Padma breathed. "And uhg, I hated what those Slytherins were calling you. It makes me sick. I had to walk away before I slugged them all."

"Trust me, I don't like it, either."

Padma went back to her seat, and Hermione made a quick glance at Draco again, then at his arm in the sling. She pushed the rest of her sandwich away, unable to eat the rest. What was Malfoy up to?

* * *

Hermione loved school, and loved working with partners, but the day Professor Snape made the unfortunate decision of pairing her and Draco Malfoy together for a potions project, she absolutely loathed the thought of working with two heads.

"I would suggest that you get to know your partners," Snape said in his low, slow, monotone voice to the class, "because you will be seeing a lot of them in the next three weeks."

Hermione groaned, and she knew Malfoy noticed.

"They'll kill each other," Ron whispered to Harry quietly, "with a death potion."

Harry nodded.

* * *

"No, not that one!" Hermione said, grabbing the bottle of troll sweat before Malfoy could reach for it. They were in their potions class two days later, getting a start on their potion they had to concockt for the project.

"How do you know if that's right or not?" Malfoy growled. "We don't even bloody know what we're making yet!"

"Because you say no to everything I suggest! We should've decided yesterday."

"And you think it's my fault that all your ideas are lousy? Some genius you are, mudblood."

That name stung the inside of her, like a large bee plunging its stinger into her chest. She huffed through her nose, trying to keep in her emotion, as Malfoy just sat there looking at the labels on the few bottles sitting on the table next to their empty cauldron.

"What have you two come up with?" both of them heard, and looked up at Professor Snape, his black eyes looking down on them.

"We're making a healing potion," Hermione said, and Malfoy glared at her.

"Fascinating," he said and walked on to the next table, the one where Harry and Ron were sitting. She felt a sliver of jealously. A beam, actually. She wanted to be paired with one of her friends who would actually help with the potion and wouldn't call her foul names while doing so.

"What makes you think we're making a healing potion?" Malfoy asked, still glaring at her. She met his blue eyes.

"Do you have any better ideas?"

He grimaced. "Fine."

Hermione got up and retrieved the needed ingredients for the first part their potion from the back table covered with random bottles and boxes. She turned back to her work table table, but stopped. She stared at the back of Malfoy's blonde head, wondering how on earth they're going to pass this project. Looks like she'll be doing all the work.


	3. Chapter 2

_Hermione and Draco get started on their potions project, and a few secrets are revealed._

**Chapter 2**

Hermione never thought that she would step foot in _here_ again.

"Why exactly are we in the girls' lavatory?" Malfoy asked, his nose twitching as he stood at the door.

"Because we need a work space."

She sat down on the floor next to the sinks, the same spot where she, Ron, and Harry brewed the polyjuice potion last year. She didn't fear the basilisk because she knew it was dead down there in the Chamber of Secrets, the entrance to which was the sinks. Malfoy came and sat down in front of her, a small cauldron in between them.

"You're mental, mudblood," he said under his breath.

She attempted to not let that bother her, and just got out the ingredients to the potion from her bottomless red beaded bag that she had. She cleared her throat, and she read silently from the potions book. It was too awkward just sitting there with Draco, a small black cauldron between them.

"It's going to take the whole three weeks to make this, so we need to get started right away," she said.

"What if somebody comes in?" he asked, double-taking the door they entered through.

"Nobody will come in."

He slit is eyes at her. "How can you be so sure?"

"Moaning Myrtle."

Malfoy's face suddenly drained of what color was there, matching his hair. Hermione couldn't help but smirk at his reaction.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts, Malfoy?"

"Afraid?" he spat. "Yeah right."

At that moment, a light blue see-through girl with glasses and long, straight pigtails appeared behind Hermione. Malfoy yelped and jumped back.

"What?" Hermione asked, then looked at Myrtle beside her. "Oh, hello, Myrtle."

"'_Hello Myrtle_?'" Malfoy repeated incredulously. "Are you mad?"

Myrtle floated near him, and he scooted backwards on his rump, his blue eyes wide, staring at her.

"Nice to see you again, Draco," said the ghost girl. "It has been a while since I saw you balling like a child in here before."

"What?" Hermione let out, a smile on her face. "Balling? About what?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, his cheeks turing pink in embarrassment.

Myrtle snickered her nasally laugh and floated above the both of them near the sinks. "I just remember a small blonde boy crying about a lost quidditch match two years ago. He was so sad that he didn't even realize that he went into the girls' lavatory."

Malfoy's face flushed a deeper red. "I said shut up!"

Myrtle laughed again, as well as Hermione. Hermione added unicorn hair to the white concoction in the cauldron. Myrtle turned on her.

"What is that you're making?" she asked.

"A healing potion," Hermione responded. "It's for our potions class." She looked at Malfoy, sitting cross-legged, and pouting. "He's my partner for the project."

"Oh. I was wondering why you were working in here with a Slytherin. It was because of a Slytherin that I died."

"I thought the basilisk killed you," Hermione said nonchalantly as she added a clear liquid to the potion, making it billow yellow steam.

"It did. But it was a Slytherin's pet." She cocked her head. "Speaking of Slytherin, does he know about the polyjuice potion from last year? You fooled him, I remember." She smirked.

Hermione's eyes went wide, and Malfoy eyed her. It was Hermione's turn for embarrassment. "Fooled me?" Draco asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Myrtle asked him. "This girl and her two boyfriends made a polyjuice potion last year." She laughed, and Hermione tried to silence her, but failed. "_She_ turned into a cat and stayed locked in a stall, but the boys turned into those bodyguards of yours. Yes, I pay attention." She gave Malfoy a suggestive look.

Malfoy stared at Hermione. "Crabbe and Goyle? Potter and Weasely changed into…_them_?" He looked at Myrtle. "When?"

"They needed information on the Chamber of Secrets," Myrtle said. "You had no clue it was them." She laughed nasally again.

Malfoy glared at Hermione again, and his eyes widened in realization, then turned to ice. "I _knew_ I saw orange hair that time."

"Smart boy," Myrtle commented, and Hermione stayed silent, stirring the bubbling yellow goo. Leave it to Myrtle to reveal everyone's secrets. The ghost girl flew elsewhere in the bathroom, and Hermione kept stirring.

"I can't believe this," Malfoy muttered.

"It's already done," Hermione said. "No need to brood over it now."

He stayed silent, but heard a clank—Hermione hit the cauldron lightly with the stirring stick, then set the stick off to the side. "We have to wait to put in the next ingredient," she said.

"Until when?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I have to sit in this putrid place tomorrow?"

"For the next three weeks if you want good marks on this project."

He huffed through his nose and looked off at the sinks again, scowling. Hermione guessed that he was both irritated and embarrassed. She smirked, thinking about a little crying Malfoy.

* * *

Malfoy snapped at some first year boy for running into him by accident in the courtyard the next day during the lunch hour. Hermione winced at the scene as she was sitting with Ron and Harry on a stone bench as. A thought came to her as the autumn sun warmed her forehead and the wind played with her wavy light-brown hair.

She needed to get to the bottom of why Malfoy is the way he is. She's genuinely really curious.

* * *

"So, what are your hobbies?" Hermione asked as the two were sitting in the lavatory after classes. The room was Myrtle-less.

"Hobbies?" Malfoy asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yes, hobbies. Like, things you like to do."

He stayed silent.

"Don't tell me you don't have any hobbies?"

"Why do you want to know?"

She stirred the light blue goo in the cauldron. "Well, Professor Snape said that we need to get to know our partners, and that's what I'm trying to do."

"Like I want to get to know you, Granger," he spat.

She huffed through her nose. _Keep going._

"Well, okay. I'll just say mine, then. I love to read, practice new spells, spend time with Harry and Ron, as well as my family when I'm around them… What?"

Malfoy was giving her a look, his nose twirked. "Typical."

"What about you?"

He huffed through his nose. "Well, I don't like to read, that's for sure."

"But what _do_ you like to do?"

He stayed silent again. Does he really not have any hobbies? That is the saddest thing she's ever…

"Chess."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"I like to play chess. Happy?"

Now _that_ Hermione wasn't expecting. Malfoy and Ron have something in common! She thought for a fleeting moment of Malfoy and Ron battling each other at wizard's chess this Christmas.

"Wipe that look off your face, Granger," he said, and her smile vanished.

"How long have you played?" she asked.

"Since I was five."

"Wow! You must be really good by now. Do you play here?"

Malfoy eyed all the bottles and other ingredients on the stone floor. "Sometimes."

He asked what to put in the potion next, and she told him, and went and put it in. They had to cover their noses.

"Blymee, what is that?" he asked, arm over his nose.

"I told you, wolf wart," she said with her sleeve over her nose as well.

"Why does it smell _that_ bad?"

"It's mingling with the other ingredients."

The smell went away, and they could breathe again. Hermione saw him wiggle his nose from the smell. Draco Malfoy plays chess. Who would've known?


	4. Chapter 3

_This chapter bounces through a bunch of different scenes. In one, Hermione loses her temper and may lose her chance to learn more about the school bully. Also, Hermione makes a confession..._

**Chapter 3**

"Absolutely not, Hermione."

"But Ron, he's been playing since he was five. You started a year later if what you told me was true."

The trio of friends were walking back to their common room the evening after Hermione found out the shocking revelation that Malfoy liked playing chess.

"I'm not going to play wizard's chess with Malfoy of all people." Ron quipped and they arrived at the moving staircases. "I'd rather he be the pieces that get crumbled to bits while playing the game."

Hermione was sure that Malfoy would say the same thing about him.

"So, you're getting along, Hermione?" Harry asked as they stopped at the Big Lady picture that led to the Gryffindor common room.

"Not quite," she breathed. "We can't get through a minute without bickering about something."

"At least he doesn't call you that name anymore," Ron said. "Doesn't he?"

Hermione started. "No. He doesn't." Curious.

The three entered the common room and Hermione saw Shamus Finnegan playing chess with Dean Thomas at a corner table. She should try it.

* * *

Hermione slammed the chessboard down on the stone floor, right next to the bubbling cauldron that was full of gray goo. Malfoy stared at the board and the chess pieces that Hermione was beginning to set out. It was day three of potion-making. They always did it in the evening, after classes.

"You can't be serious, can you?"

"What?" she said as they sat criss-crossed on the floor. "It's something to pass the time before we put in the next ingredient in an hour."

This was no wizard's chess game, just a normal chess game that Hermione brought with her from her muggle home. It was the cheap black and red fold-out board with plastic black and white pieces. She never thought that the first time she would pull it out would be to play it with Draco Malfoy. But maybe this would help a bit with her plan.

"No way," he said flatly after she set up all the pieces.

Her nerves tingled with irritation. "C'mon. Don't tell me you're not confident enough to play against a brilliant witch like myself."

"Brilliant?" he spat. "We'll see about that."

The two began playing. An hour later, Malfoy was about to check her king, but then she made a move and checked _his_ king.

"Hey! You can't do that!" he said.

"Of course I can. It's my move."

She check-mated him right at the time they needed to add the next ingredient to the potion. "Good game," she said and added the goblin saliva. She looked at Malfoy as he was staring at the chess board, scowling. His pride was hurt.

"Play again?" she asked after twisting the bottle to the saliva shut.

"No."

"Do you play with your parents when you're at home?" She stirred the goo.

His blue eyes landed on her and widened. He showed his teeth. "_Don't_ mention my parents. They never played. And don't care."

Hermione blinked at his offensiveness. "Um… neither?"

He glared at her. "No. Mum doesn't know how, and Father wouldn't bother."

Hermione stared at the chess board with only a few pieces left on it and thought a moment, pressing her lips together. "Then how did you learn?"

"You won't stop, will you?" he spat and stood up. "I'm done for today." He cantered out.

"Temper, temper," Hermione heard Myrtle say. "He's dreadfully handsome when he gets angry."

Hermione gave her a look.

"I like bad boys," Myrtle said with a smile and bit her bottom lip and giggled. Hermione looked away and at the chess board again, dismissing what the ghost girl said.

He doesn't have a good relationship with his parents, mostly his father, from what she can tell. She has to dig deeper. Are his parents the only reason why he's a bully and not happy?

* * *

The trio were with Hagrid the next day. He was busy skipping rather large rocks in the Black Lake, his pants rolled up to his knees.

"Hagrid, something's bothering you," Harry commented as Hagrid frowned. He was silent as his back was to his three friends. Hermione noticed that he was shaking a little, and not from the cold of the lake in the fall weather.

Hagrid suddenly dropped a huge rock in the lake, making a massive _dunk_ noise. "Buckbeak has been sentenced to death!" He started sobbing.

It felt as if Hermione's heart was crushed by one of those big rocks that Hagrid was now throwing into the lake repeatedly. She had one thought—

Malfoy. He blabbed to his father.

* * *

"Hermione, where're you going?" Ron pleaded a week after Hagrid's revelation as he and Harry were following Hermione down the grounds on the way to Hagrid's where the assassin was waiting to kill Buckbeak. Only that was not why she was cantering down the hill, angrier than she had ever been before. Her chest tightened in knots as she skipped steps that were in the path etched in the grass. Beyond was four large rocks sticking out of the ground. Standing by one looking down at the scene below at Hagrid's house was Malfoy and two of his posse. Malfoy noticed them coming. His arm was out of the sling now.

"Oh, come to see the show?" He smiled wickedly.

Hermione pointed her wand right at him, and his eyes widened. "You foul, loathsome little cockroach!" She pointed it straight at his nose.

"Hermione, no, he's not worth it," Ron said, and she lowered her wand as Malfoy's eyes followed it down to his chin. She took her wand away, and he laughed. Anger bottled up inside of her and she punched him right in the nose, his head knocking against the rock behind him.

"Aww!" he let out in pain.

"Malfoy, are you okay?" one of the boys he was with said, and the boys ran away.

"That was brilliant!" Ron said.

"Incredibly," Harry agreed.

Hermione watched Malfoy disappear over the hill. Her heart sank. Her anger just cost her from digging deeper into Malfoy's life. She sighed. She hasn't gotten anywhere with him the past week. She completely put the chess thing aside and just focused on the potion. The only things she got out of him were that he was dreadfully impatient of the potions project to be over, and his favorite color is green. But that last one was hard to get out of him.

"Hermione," she heard Harry say, and she went back to reality. Both Harry and Ron were pointing to Hagrid's house. They saw just in time the assassin chopping their bird friend's head off.

"Nasty bloke, Malfoy," Ron muttered as Hermione hung on his shoulder and Harry hugged her as well. "This is all his fault."

Hermione's heart hurt even more, and tears stung her eyes.

* * *

Malfoy didn't show up to potions-making the next day. Or the next. Or the next. He didn't even go to potions class, or any classes that she had with him for that matter.

Why would he?

"Do you miss him?" Myrtle pipped up as Hermione was sprinkling in a bit of mandrake powder into the cauldron, and almost sprinkled too much after Myrtle asked that question. Hermione looked over at her with wide eyes.

"Of course I do not!"

Myrtle had her chin resting on her palms, looking as if she was sitting on the floor next to Hermione. "Really? Then why are you so defensive?"

"I'm not defensive."

"Sure seems like it."

Hermione looked back at the now-green potion. "I'm not. I just… I want to apologize to him."

"You punched him." She made a punching gesture in the air.

She stared wide-eyed at Myrtle, but her gaze went straight through her. "How'd you know?"

"I looked for him yesterday." She smiled and stared at the ceiling adoringly. "If you don't like him," she cooed, "then I can take him. Oh… he looked _so_ helpless and pathetic holding his bandaged nose…"

Hermione continued to stare at her in shock. "He hasn't performed any charm to heal it?"

"Apparently not."

* * *

Hermione, by herself, walked the corridors that were filled with students the next day. Maybe she could find a blonde head in this mess.

Finally, out in the courtyard, she spotted that blonde head. And bandaged nose. Why hasn't he healed it yet? So people could feel sorry for him? _Psht, of course that was the reason._

She shook her head, making her loose wavy hair flail every which-way. No matter. She had a mission to complete.

Malfoy started walking away and into a corridor with his posse. She followed close behind him, but was hidden by other students. She hugged her books to her chest, and her heart hammered against them. She was actually going to apologize to _Draco Malfoy_! She never imagined that she would do such a thing.

"See you, Draco," one boy said, and the rest of the posse dispersed after that, leaving Malfoy to walk on his own.

She followed and followed him, until they reached the other end of the castle and down some stairs where, which was, she guessed, where the Slytherin common room was. He stopped in front of a portrait of a knight.

"Malfoy," Hermione said, and he turned to her, startled. His face twisted up.

"Granger? What are _you_ doing here?"

She cleared her throat. What to start with? She didn't practice this. "Um, why haven't you been in classes? Or potion-making in the lavatory?"

"Like that's any of your business," he barked.

Her heart pounded in anxiousness and she walked up to him, looking up since he was taller. "It _is_ my business. We're partners. You have to do your share."

"I'm through with that stupid potions project," he spat. "Do it yourself."

_That's what I've been doing in pretty much this whole time!_

Malfoy looked away and at the picture of the knight.

"Look, I'm sorry."

His browns scrunched together and he looked over at her. "Sorry?"

"Yes. Sorry. I'm sorry I punched you."

"You're not sorry. You enjoyed it. Just like I enjoyed telling my father what that bloody chicken did to me."

Hermione fought tears. "Horrible…" she muttered.

"What?"

Hermione said nothing.

He glared at her with his icy blue eyes and leaned in. "What, Granger? What do you want?"

"To be your friend!" she shouted, and her voice echoed across the empty corridor.

He stared at her in bewilderment for a moment, then his mouth twisted into a frown. "I have no interest in being your friend, mudblood."

He muttered something to the knight and entered the portrait. She stared at the full-length knight as her head pounded and hot tears stung her eyes.

"You should know," the knight in the picture said to her, "that a Slytherin just doesn't become friends with a Gryffindor. Especially… someone of your blood."

She didn't reply. She turned on her heel and made it back to her own common room, stomped up the stairs, ignoring Ron and Harry calling her name as she came in, and plunged herself on her bed and hugged her pillow. Whimpers escaped, and she soaked her pillow with tears.

Stupid. That's what she was. Stupid. How could she possibly think that she could befriend Draco Malfoy and learn his innermost secrets?

His bandaged nose and brilliant blue eyes came to her mind and more tears came. Her heart hurt more than she has ever felt before. She handled the time-turner that was around her neck. Not even this could undo what had happened.


	5. Chapter 4

_A much shorter chapter. Hermione makes a startling realization._

**Chapter 4**

"What's going on, Hermione?" Harry asked at breakfast the next day, as she swirled around her cinnamon oatmeal. "Why the long face?"

"The potions project," she blurted out.

"Oh."

That was all that came out of Harry's mouth, but it said enough.

"What's Malfoy done this time?" Ron asked next to her.

"Nothing. _I_ did something."

Both her friends stared at her, waiting for her to explain. She might as well tell them. She leaned in, since they were across from her, and they leaned in, too. She told them all about her failed plan and her encounter with Malfoy the evening before at the knight portrait.

"Hermione, no offense, but are you completely mental?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am." She sat back and eyed her oatmeal that she wasn't going to finish. "To think that I could get through to him… I was stupid."

"Yeah, you were," Ron said with a chuckle, and Harry elbowed him. "What? It's true. Malfoy's so thick that not even a sledge hammer could get through his skull. I wouldn't mind giving it a try myself."

Hermione sighed. Ron was right. She looked over at Malfoy, who was hunched over, no bandage on his nose, staring at his food. His chin rested on the palm of his hand, and he had a furrow in his brow. What was he thinking about?

* * *

"No blonde prince today?"

Hermione sat cross-legged in front of the cauldron, and it billowed blue steam. There was one more week left until the potion was due, and Malfoy still hadn't shown up.

"No," she said to Myrtle. She would have Ron and Harry here working on their potion as she worked on hers, but after last year, they never wanted to step foot in this lavatory again. "I don't think he's coming back."

"I don't know about that…" Myrtle said with a twerk of her brow.

"What?"

Myrtle looked to the direction of the door, and in came Malfoy. Hermione gasped and stood up. "Malfoy!"

"Missed me much?" he asked as he stopped at the cauldron.

"Yes, quite a lot," Myrtle said, and he made a disgusted look.

Hermione wanted to lash out at him for hiding and making her do all the work on the potion, but she thought better of it. She picked up a bottle of purple liquid. "Put five drops of this in," she said. Malfoy surprisingly snatched it right out of her hand and knelt down on the stone floor. He popped the cork off and dropped five shiny purple drops that made the whole potion turn a deep royal purple. The steam that came out was the same color.

"Beautiful," Hermione said, despite herself. Malfoy acted as if he didn't hear her.

"Now what?" he asked.

"We wait for an hour."

"Okay." He sat cross-legged and stared at the purple potion, his hands clasped under his chin.

Hermione didn't question his sudden change of wanting to help with the project. She sat down the same way and stared at the potion as well. She looked up a little and saw Malfoy's blue eyes concentrating hard on the purple stuff, as well as his blonde hair that swept over his forehead. Myrtle was right. He actually _is_ handsome.

She gasped.

"What?" Malfoy asked, looking at her with those blue eyes.

She cleared her throat. "Nothing."

Hermione's cheeks felt warm. She was blushing. _Blushing_. Because of _Malfoy_. She really has gone mental.


	6. Chapter 5

_Something unfortunate happens..._

**Chapter 5**

Four days until the potion is due. Hermione wiped sweat off of her forehead as Malfoy looked for the next ingredient. The last one. They were going to finish early!

"Found it," he said, and sat cross-legged again.

"Lovely," Hermione said, and took the vile of gold liquid from his fingers. She attempted to ignore the feeling of his warm fingers brushing hers. He didn't seem to notice. Tosh—why would he?

"Okay, here I go," she said, and Malfoy and Myrtle watched her pour the full file of gold healing liquid into the cauldron. "I hope this works. I had to bribe Madam Pomphrey with my favorite spells book for this."

The gold liquid drained into the cauldron, and the cauldron billowed out fumes of glowing, sparkly yellow light, just like a glittering ray of sun. All beside Myrtle had to squint their eyes. Then, after the light died down, Hermione just stared at the beauty of it all. It cast a glow on her and on Malfoy. She looked at him and caught his eye.

He was staring at her. Not meanly or anything like that, but was simply… staring.

The glow died down completely, and the two partners looked into the cauldron to see thick golden liquid inside.

"It's perfect!" Hermione exclaimed, smiling widely. "We did it!"

She looked at Malfoy and he had just the slightest bit of a smile on his face, but it faded the instant she looked at him. He looked away.

"Were you this excited when you finished the polyjuice potion?" he muttered.

"Not as," she replied. She took a deep breath before saying, "Thank you for your help."

He didn't answer, which pricked her heart a bit, but she got passed it. She stood up.

"Well, I'm off to dinner. You coming?"

"No," he spat. "I don't want to be seen traipsing around with a mud— with you."

She huffed through her nose. At least he didn't say that name. "Alright."

She left. Malfoy stayed sitting where he was. He stared at the gold stuff in the cauldron, visions of the light illuminating Hermione in his mind's eye. Her brown eyes and fair skin sparkled, and her hair shined brilliantly. His hands balled into fists as they were resting on his knees.

"Lunatic, Draco," he muttered. "She's a mudblood."

Myrtle stared at him from across the cauldron. He scrambled up and left the lavatory. Once he entered the Great Hall and made his way to his usual seat at the Slytherin table, which was in the middle of the table, his gaze landed directly on Hermione talking with Ron and Harry. She was smiling. The vision came to his mind again.

He sat down and stared at his empty silver plate, confusion and shock filling his system at the reason why he didn't want to look up because his eyes would instantly land on her again.

* * *

Hermione eyed Malfoy in the main corridor, giving him the look that she always gave him in the past two-and-a-half weeks when she wanted him to follow her to the lavatory. He gave her a look that said, "We finished the potion. I don't need to go anywhere."

Her eyes widened indicating that she wanted him to come along. His eyebrows creased as she ran off around a corner. He said bye to his posse and left.

"Now exactly why do we have to be here?" he asked as the two stood over the cauldron in the lavarory.

"To check it."

His brows pushed together. "Why do I need to be here for that?"

"Because this potion belongs to both of us."

He huffed through his nose and gazed at the chess board from the day before when he and Hermione played while waiting to put in the last ingredient into the potion. He smirked. He won that game.

"Looks good," Hermione said and he looked down and saw the top of her head over the cauldron. No doubt the golden glow was on her face. He looked back up, attempting to forget that pretty image.

"I wonder if it will change at all over the next few days?" she said.

"How should I know?" He folded his arms.

Hermione's heart leaped. That foul voice of his made her skin crawl and jaw clench, but made her heart dance. Curious. She stood up straight. "Well, then. I guess we're done here."

"Lovely," he said tonelessly.

Hermione huffed and left the lavatory and got not two steps into the corridor when she heard something fall against stone back inside the lavatory. She sprinted back inside, heart pounding, only to find her worst nightmare—

The thick gold liquid was all over the stone floor, oozing out of the cauldron like liquid sunlight. Malfoy stood there looking at it with a blank expression, the gold getting on the bottoms of his black shoes.

"What have you done?!" Hermione bellowed into the empty lavatory, and her voice echoes off the walls.

He looked back at her, his face twisting up. "I did nothing!" His arm spread out over the mess. "It tipped over on its own!"

She glared at him with wild eyes and stomped up to him, her heart hammering and her face heating up with anger. "You liar! How could you ruin something that we spent the last three weeks on?"

He glared down at her wildly. "_I_ didn't do anything, mudblood! And who cares about a stupid potion?!"

Hermione's eyes stung with tears, and they fell speedily down her face. Her chest constricted so much that it felt as if her heart were being squeezed right out of her. "How can you be so heartless?" she demanded fiercely, glaring at him. "_Why_ do you take so much delight in making everyone around you so miserable? Why do you have to be such a bully? _Why_?!"

He stared at her with daggers, and his lips flattened into a grim line.

"You know what?" she said, tears still rolling, and a crack in her voice. "I tried to get through to you. I tried to be your friend. But it's impossible with your black heart!"

The whites of Malfoy's eyes began turning red, and his mouth trembled. His words slithered through his teeth. "I. Don't. Care. What. You. Think. Mudblood!"

A sob billowed out of Hermione. She looked all over the room, besides at him, because she knew that new tears would come if she did. She looked at the golden potion that was now falling down the drain under the sinks.

"Of course you don't care," she said, her voice quiet, but filled with emotion. "Of course you don't."

Her legs, now feeling like wet noodles, managed to move her out of the lavatory. Her sobbing drowned out the sound of clanking from the cauldron being set up-right again.

* * *

"I told you that he's a foul, rotten git," Ron said to her as the trio were on their way to the common room the next evening. "It's just like him to do something like that."

Hermione hugged her books to her chest, clutching onto them so hard that her hands were going to be poked through with the corners of the hard covers. This was probably the hundredth time that either Ron or Harry brought up… Draco.

"What are you going to do about the potions project?" Harry asked, and she tried to ignore him.

"Yeah, now that Malfoy destroyed everything," Ron said. "Blymee, why does Hermione have to suffer for Malfoy's evil doings, huh?"

"I know," Harry agreed.

Hermione hugged her books tighter if that were possible, and she huffed through her nose. Her heart hammered and her cheeks felt hot.

"So, what are you going to do, Hermione?" Ron asked, looking passed Harry since he was walking in between the two of them.

Tears stung her eyes and she said nothing. Her breathing became heavier due to her rising irritation.

"Hermione?" Harry prodded. She had enough.

"Just shut up, the both of you!" she bellowed, her voice echoing in the corridor, and people looked over, and some stopped. Ron and Harry stared at her, stunned speechless.

"Don't ever mention Malfoy or that blasted potions project again, or I'll never speak a word to either of you for the rest of the year!"

She stormed away to the common room, leaving Ron and Harry unable to comprehend what just happened. They just stared at her back as she stalked walked away.

Hermione reached the common room, and went straight to her bed and pulled the red curtains around it. And sobbed. She pictured Draco leaning over the chess game, his brow furrowed in concentration, with his feather-light blonde bangs hanging over his forehead… the secret looks they gave each other every time she wanted them to head off to the lavatory, and he actually followed her _each_ time… his crystal blue eyes that gazed at her after she poured the gold elixir into the potion…

She didn't care about what made him the way he is because it doesn't matter anymore. She thought he changed, at least a bit, but she was wrong. Dreadfully wrong.


	7. Chapter 6

_Last chapter, at least before the epilogue. Draco does something quite impressive._

**Chapter 6**

The due date came and Draco wasn't there. His seat was always next to hers, but now it was empty. She felt the emptiness of the seat, and it drained into her heart.

Professor Snape was going around to each table, observing each potion that his students had produced. One exploded right in front of him, but he cast a spell to repel the dark liquid away from him and back into the cauldron. He didn't seem to notice that there was no cauldron on the table in front of Hermione—until he stood next to it.

"Miss Granger," he said in his monotone voice. "Yours and Mr. Malfoy's potion?"

Every eye in the classroom landed on her, and she felt the heat of embarrassment, and the vile rising in her throat. She swallowed it.

"There was a mishap," she said, looking straight at the front of the room, and her chest ached. "It spilled a few days ago shortly after we finished it."

Snape lengthened out his wand until both hands had each end. "I see… So… unfortunate. Especially for you, Miss Granger."

"Yes, sir." She gulped down a sob.

He moved on without another word to the next table and observed Pavarti and Padma's love potion, billowing pink steam from the top of the cauldron.

Hermione wanted to cry. She didn't want to remain in the classroom. She knew Professor Snape would notice, but she stood up and left the room without a word. As she walked down the corridors, her chest tightened with every step. She needed a quiet place to cry, and the nearest lavatory was the one that she and Draco worked in for long hours each day. She had her hand on the door, ready to open it, but she let go. She imagined Draco's smiling, handsome face as he won that chess match. More tears came. She walked away from the door.

"I think you should go in," she heard a voice say. She whirled around and found Myrtle floating there to the right of the wooden door.

"No," Hermione she said. "I never want to go in there again."

She began to walk away, but Myrtle floated right in front of her. "I would, if I were you."

Hermione sighed in defeat. "Why?"

Myrtle smiled, biting her lip between her teeth. "Go see. He's been at it the past few days."

Her heart made a strong lurch. "Who's been doing what?"

"Go. See."

Hermione took in air through her nose and walked into the lavatory. The place was filled with the morning light that was pouring in from the windows. She heard clanking. She walked more into the room and found…

She gasped in shock, which caused a very frazzled Draco to turn around, then instantly stand at the sight of her. The floor near the sink was cluttered with bottles and boxes, and the air smelled of lemons - the scent of the finished healing potion. The cauldron sat there, yellow steam billowing out of it. Sparkly yellow steam.

"Granger," he breathed.

Hermione couldn't form words for the life of her. She tried to force her heavy tongue to work. "What…?" was all that came out.

"What does it look like?" he said, placing both hands on his hips, which were over his white shirt that was untucked from his pants. His very blonde hair was a mess, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"How…? Why…?"

"So touched you can barely speak?" He gestured towards the mess. "I found everything in the potions book by taking apart Snape's storage. And I nearly sacrificed my own leg to get the gold stuff from Pomphrey."

Hermione stared at him, still stunned out of her wits.

"God, Granger, wipe that look off your face."

She gave herself a mental shake and took the few steps to the cauldron. Its inside looked exactly like it did before it was tipped over—thick liquid gold.

"You… made this in just three days?"

"It wasn't easy. I had to tweak a few things. I don't know if it'll even work."

She looked at him, at his blue eyes. Emotion overcame her, and before she could stop herself, she flung her arms around his neck, smelling a soft pine scent, as well as sweat.

"Hey, what—"

She held him tighter, feeling his feathery hair through her fingers, her nose against his bare neck, and feeling a rush of thankfulness and happiness that reduced her to tears. He stood limp as she shook against him, crying into his shoulder. She could feel his heart hammering under his chest.

"Thank you…" she let out.

Draco audibly gulped as he took in her flowery scent. His shaking hands… he didn't know what to do with them. He just placed them lightly on her back. He started. For being only thirteen, Hermione had curves. His cheeks took to burning.

"Yeah," he said as answer to her thank you.

She loosened herself from him and looked back at his face. They realized how close they were, and what kind of hold they were in, and they instantly let go, standing a meter apart from each other.

"We have to get this to potions class," she said suddenly after clearing her throat. "_Now_."

"You think I don't know that? I've been working in here sleepless nights to get this thing done in time."

She gasped. "You haven't slept?"

His brows pushed together. She eyed his dark circles. Of course he hasn't slept. She forced herself to think that he did this for the class and not for her.

"_Wengardium Leviossa,_" Hermione said, and the cauldron started floating in the air at her command. "Let's go."

The two made it in time for Snape to give them a grade—three-fourths marks for being late. Better than nothing.


	8. Epilogue

_I hope you all liked this story! A review would be greatly appreciated. =)_

_Over a year has passed since the potion's project completion._

**Epilogue**

Hermione's heart pounded wildly inside of her as she descended the steps to meet Victor at the bottom. She was dressed in a pink, frilly dress that showed what curves and chest she had. Her hair was up in an elegant bun with a thick, shiny curly tendril floating down out of it, laying gently on her left shoulder.

She felt beautiful. She's never dressed up like this before.

She took one step at a time. She thought she would lose her balance in her heels, mainly because almost everyone in the room was looking at her, including Harry, Victor, Ron, and… Draco. Her eyes focused on him. Over the past year, after that potions project fiasco, she never really talked to Draco again, but they exchanged looks now and then, at meals, in classes, and walking in the corridors, passing each other. She would smirk. He would smirk back.

Now, he was staring. Staring with his big, blue eyes. She knew the moment Professor McGonagall mentioned the Yule Ball to all the students, she would be seeing Draco in a dashing black suit and white dress shirt.

She had to hold her breath. He looked… _good_.

She found Victor's arm, and she was led out to dance. As she danced in circles with this quidditch champion, she couldn't help but take glances at Draco. She caught his eye a few times, and wanted it to hold each time. She suddenly felt really hot, and not just from all the dancing.

Once there was a break, Hermione went over to get a refreshing sip of cold water from the elegant fountain that was conjured into the wall. She looked out at everyone dancing, even Hagrid! A bubble of laughter escaped her.

Then she spotted him again. He was dancing with Pansy Parkinson, and was holding her close. Her chest tightened with—she was able to admit it—jealousy.

He caught her eye as he was dancing. Every time he spun around with Pansy, his head spun trying to keep in view of Hermione. She intentionally kept his gazes. But then stopped. Her chest constricted, and she bolted right on passed the dancers. She could feel Draco's eyes on her. Once she was out of the Great Hall, and into an empty corridor, she stopped and took a breath.

"Get a hold of yourself," she said into the air. "It was just dancing."

A couple minutes passed.

"Granger."

She stood stone still at the sound of his voice. She gulped, and her heart pounded like a bass drum against her ribs.

"Are you ignoring me?" he asked. She spun around, and found that he was only a couple meters away. He took a few steps closer.

"Um…" she let out. "I just… needed some air. It was getting really stuffy in there."

He nodded and looked at his shoes, but then his gaze traveled up her body, and she could feel it. Her cheeks began to burn as his gaze lingered on… the bottom of her face.

"You know," he said, "I don't really do this, but um…" He took a lofty breath through his nose. "You look… beautiful."

She managed a nod, and her heart kept on beating rapidly. "Thank you. And you look rather dashing yourself."

His brows pushed together. "Are you joking, Granger? In this thing?" He grabbed a lapel.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Yes."

He let a smile loose on his lips, which Hermione was looking straight at with her heels on, elevating her a bit. She bit the inside of her lip, which _his_ gaze went straight to.

"You know…" he said again, but in a whisper, and stepping closer, "there was something I was very tempted to do last year when you hugged me."

Hermione held her breath. "Really? What?"

He snorted. "And you call yourself a brilliant witch?"

Draco suddenly grabbed her waist, pushing her to him. She nearly toppled into him, and had to grab onto the upper parts of his arms for support. Her heart was beating wildly as she took in his scent of soft pine. Her eyes were at his mouth, but they traveled up to his enchanting blue eyes which were... so close...

He moved his hand on her waist, bringing it around a bit more, and his other hand went to her cheek. She shuddered when his warm hand touched her skin.

Neither of them said anything. He leaned in a bit, and she could feel his hot breath. His mouth slightly touched hers, then enveloped it. She held onto his arms as he tightened his hold around her waist. His other hand slid to her shoulder, giving her goosebumps.

The two kissed each other with a disparity that was seen in every look that they gave to one another in the past year. How she waited… How _he_ waited…

Her arms went around his neck, her hands weaved through his soft blonde hair, and she leaned more into him, and he wrapped his arms completely around her back. She wanted to savor the feeling of his hot mouth, so hers kept on feeling it. And feeling it. And feeling it.

Then their mouths separated, but still stayed close.

"Blymee, Granger," he breathed.

"Yeah… I know."

Music was heard from the Great Hall, and the two separated themselves completely from each other. He took a few steps back, and she never stopped looking at his devilishly handsome face. He couldn't look away from her face, either.

"Don't you dare follow me," he said, pointing at her.

"I wouldn't dare follow you, Malfoy," she sneered playfully and he walked on. A question bit at her lips. "Draco!"

He turned.

"I have a question for you."

"And what's that?"

"Why were you shouting my name in the hospital wing last year after the hippogriff incident?"

He smirked. "I was dreaming. I dreamt that I saw you as I was being carried away by that giant. I was calling for you."

He turned and went on back to the Great Hall.

THE END


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